Music

Listen to Mattie Safer's Fulham chant

‘Get out of the fucking way, ref!’ shouts Mattie Safer, the singing bassist of New York punk-funkers The Rapture. You’d think it’s baseball, basketball or even bass fishing (huge in the US) that he’s getting worked up about. It’s actually a Premiership (or EPL, as Americans call it) match between Fulham and Charlton Athletic. Yep, we’re at Craven Cottage on a chilly Monday night because trend-setting Brooklynites The Rapture are Fulham fans.

We unearthed this priceless nugget when Safer wore a Fulham shirt at their London Astoria gig two years ago. Incongruous at first, it kind of makes sense when you consider New York’s current love affair with England, which has transformed even Art Brut into US rock royalty. Top of the Anglophile league are The Rapture. First there’s the music. PiL, Madchester, acid house and electro-period Squeeze all rear their heads on poptastic album ‘Pieces Of The People We Love’. They’re also long-term collaborators with London producer Paul Epworth.
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Then there’s frontman Luke Jenner’s various links. His mum was born in Swansea (‘My uncle’s, like, six foot four of flaming red hair and moustache,’ he says) and brought up in Bristol; he saw Inspiral Carpets at San Diego University when Noel Gallagher was still their roadie; and watched every game of Euro ’96 while living in Brighton. It starts to get a bit too weird when drummer Vito Roccoforte reveals that he has a fantasy football team, normally the preserve of nerdy British football fans. But, still, why Fulham?

‘When you don’t have a geographical link to a team, choosing one reflects the nature of the person,’ says Safer. ‘I couldn’t choose Chelsea. They’re too big and flash. It’s like a substitute for something else… like buying a sports car’.

Instead, Safer chose the ‘quiet, sleepy’ riverside club, which indeed reflects the young (just 26) man’s relaxed air. It also appears to have something to do with his dislike of the North East.

‘The first match I saw was Fulham against Middlesbrough,’ he says. ‘There was no way that I was going to support Boro. I don’t know. They just seemed really… thuggy. Then we played a gig up there and it made even more sense.’

So the excited trio of Safer, Jenner and Roccoforte head for their first Fulham home game (saxophonist Gabriel Andruzzi is in bed). They boo as we pass Stamford Bridge and, showing no signs of the difficult, truculent band they were reported as being a few years ago, they almost implode with joy when we reveal that David Hasselhoff is rumoured to be a Fulham fan. ‘Really!? We could do a duet at half time. We’d back him and play his songs,’ says Roccoforte.

It’s a relief to find them in such high spirits. When they finished touring 2004’s ‘Echoes’ the band couldn’t stand the sight of each other. Happily, after taking a break, they reconvened as a more mature and democratic outfit, and have made their most danceable record yet.

‘It seems that since we’ve been gone,’ adds Roccoforte, ‘people have figured out what we’re about. They’re coming out to the shows expecting to dance and to have a really good time. It’s pretty awesome.’

Which is good news, because a band who take themselves too seriously wouldn’t be happy running after the Fulham mascot (a badger, curiously) for a photo, or be content with a chicken balti pie for dinner. ‘Pretty good’ is Roccoforte’s verdict, although he claims it’s not as good as the sushi at US baseball games. Meanwhile, Safer puts a bet on Charlton to win 3-1. ‘Just in case we lose,’ he reasons. ‘I don’t want to be totally disappointed.’

During a tepid first half, a surprisingly clued-up Safer discusses tactics while Jenner, disappointed by Fulham’s notoriously polite crowd, analyses their chants’ musicality (‘They’re a bit basic,’ he concludes). Jenner’s thoughts then turn to Fulham’s youth system and he reveals a cunning plan to live out his own sporting dreams through his four-month-old son.

‘Mattie’s going to train him up. He’s already a pretty big kid and I used to play left wing so he must have pace in his genes,’ he says.

‘I’ll take him as far as I can,’ says a deadpan Safer, ‘and then send him over here to boarding school and get him an agent. The plan is to get him playing at Craven Cottage before his 20s.’

The Rapture’s mutual love affair with London began with the success of 2002’s dancefloor-filler, ‘House Of Jealous Lovers’. Ben from homegrown electro chaps Fat Truckers – with whom Safer is running a 12-inch label called Throne In Blood – named his Druzzi’s club night in Shoreditch after absent saxophonist Andruzzi. They share this transatlantic love-in with new pal, producer du jour and erstwhile resident of New Cross, Danger Mouse, who worked on their new album.

‘When we decided to work with Danger Mouse he wasn’t well known,’ says Roccoforte. ‘Gnarls Barkley was still way off. Although, when “Crazy” came out, it did make it kind of hard to finish up the record.’

At that moment, all talk of music is put on hold as, 64 minutes into a lacklustre match, American striker Brian McBride scores the opener for Fulham. Safer, Jenner and Roccoforte jump up in unison, chanting ‘U-S-A! U-S-A!’ Two minutes later Claus Jensen seals the victory to more raucous celebrations. It finishes 2-1 to Fulham. Safer might have lost his bet but he won the war: ‘YEAH! We won! Let’s go celebrate.’

Jubilant over victory pints in a pub round the corner, the band reminisce over tours, psycho bus drivers called Scouser Clive and Dirk The German – whose ‘every other word was “fucking wanker”,’ says Roccoforte. Safer even sings us a self-written football chant about former Fulham goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar (which you can listen to here). On this form The Rapture are clearly charming, fun-loving boys.